There are so many reasons to practice minimalism, but sometimes it’s easy to get lost when we begin to simplify our lives. Here are some tips to help you out.
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There are so many tips that can aid you in your minimalistic practices, but these are a few of my favorites that keep me going time and time again. I hope they help you, too!
1. Define your “Whys.” Sounds kind of cheesy, but it actually works. If you don’t know why you’re doing something, when times get tough, it’s easy to give up. However, if you know what you want to get out of minimalism and you’re either going to continue practicing minimalism or give up your goals and dreams, it’s a lot harder to throw in the towel than when you don’t realize what you’re giving up. Define your “Whys” — those wants and dreams. It’ll be a lot harder to quit and will ensure you get closer to what you want.
2. Declutter one micro space at a time. If you’re just starting out, I usually recommend starting small. Start with a drawer in one piece of furniture, then work on the next drawer in that piece, and the next until the entire piece is decluttered from top to bottom. You’re much more likely to feel really good about that piece, it’s easier to see progress than if you grabbed random stuff from around your home, and you’ll probably want to put in a little effort to keep the space clean. Grabbing random stuff from around the house isn’t quite as noticeable.
3. Don’t stop progressing—set aside items you’re stuck on and continue moving. Lots of times people stop their forward motion while decluttering because they get stuck on an item/set of items. Instead of setting them aside and continuing to ditch and declutter items they CAN make decisions about, lots of people simply stop their progress. Some even quit.
If you’re stuck on an item or space, move on. Set that item aside in a box or even empty the drawers of a particular piece of furniture (use a couple of boxes), then tuck those boxes away into a space labeled, “Still deciding.” Once you’re done decluttering and ditching stuff in the rest of your home or after several months, come back to the box and see if you’re ready to decide.
Call yourself a minimalist, practice minimalism, and don’t worry about whether your home has been decluttered 100%. We’re all works in progress and honestly, I don’t think it’s ever done. Minimalism isn’t about one massive overhaul, but about living mindfully about what you choose to allow into your life. The massive overhaul is just an initial clearing out that gives you more opportunities to make those choices about what you really want in your life.
4. Minimalism is about more than physical possessions. Check out your schedule—what’s cluttering it up? Or what ISN’T on your schedule that really should be? What about your budget—what’s on there that’s keeping you from experiences or isn’t on there that would enhance your life? What’s cluttering up your mind or not taking up enough space in your thoughts? My commitment to minimalism truly began once I realized it wasn’t only to be practiced with my kitchen gadgets.
5. Find YOUR kind of minimalism. This is pretty much the heart of everything I talk about when it comes to minimalism. It’s great to gather information about how to practice something, but the way you actually make it functional in your life is by trying it out and seeing what works for you and your home. Learn from others, but in the end, don’t worry about how they’re implementing minimalism—do it your way or it’ll never be all it can for you.
I hope these tips help! Remember, it’s all about the experiences, not the stuff.
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